Inauguration of the first monument for Polish victims in Berlin!
Inauguration of the first monument for Polish victims in Berlin!
Berlin, Deutschland - On June 16, 2025, an important monument was inaugurated in Berlin for the Polish victims of the German attack during the Second World War. This act should not only be remembered by the victims, but also as a step to approach between Germany and Poland. The inauguration took place at the site of the former Kroll opera, which was demolished in 1957. The German Minister of Culture Wolfram Weimer and a representative of the Polish embassy were present at this ceremony. Heiko Maas, former Foreign Minister and President of the German Poland Institute, was also present.
The attack by the German Wehrmacht on Poland began on September 1, 1939 when Adolf Hitler declared war. To date, the relationship between the two countries is economically and politically burdened by the consequences of this terrible conflict. However, the monument in Berlin is only a preliminary measure; A permanent commemoration and a German-Polish house are already being planned. In 2020, the German Bundestag commissioned the Federal Government to create a memorial to preserve the memory of the Polish victims and to redesign the history of history between the nations.
stressed history policy
But not only reminders are important. The question of reparation claims is strongly stressed by relationships between Germany and Poland. These demands result from the enormous losses and damage that Poles suffered during the Second World War. According to the Polish government and political representatives, in particular from the PIS party, the sum that Germany should apply to the damage is estimated at more than 1.3 trillion euros. However, the Federal Government clearly rejected these demands in Germany. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock emphasized that the legal question for Germany has been resolved, and the Federal Government is not willing to enter into negotiations on reparations.
Historically, the problem goes back to the 1945 Potsdam conference, in which it was stated that Poland should be compensated for by dismantling in the Soviet -occupied zone and by German abroad. However, the Federal Government sees the 1990 two-plus-four contract as a time when this reparation question was finally concluded. The contract that Poland has not signed found that the Oder-Neisse border was to be assumed as a new German eastern border and that Poland had dispensed with further reparation payments after the war.the political context
The German position is considered inadequate by the Polish government, especially under Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. The PIS has discussed the reparation issue for years and asked for a total of 1.3 trillion euros in a diplomatic grade at the end of 2022. In order to underpin this, a joint legal opinion was made by German and Polish lawyers, which, however, came to the conclusion that Poland was not entitled to reparations. This led to further discussion and inconsistencies within both nations.
Polish politics is divided, because while the previous lead under Donald Tusk no longer actively pursued the reparation question, the current government sees catching up to do and remains with its demands. The pressure to occur in an international framework for recognition and compensation is growing. And even if the question of reparation demands remains a hot iron, the newly initiated monument in Berlin could be a sign of a new dialogue between the two nations.
It remains to be seen whether this dialogue leads to the old suffering of the Polish victims. However, the discussion about justice and reparation is only at the beginning and will continue to shape relationships between Germany and Poland.
For further information about the memorial celebration and the reparation claims, visit the articles from nzz , wikipedia , and Tagesschau .
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| Ort | Berlin, Deutschland |
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